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Kyrgyz president says Russia should be his country’s chief partner

"Positive shifts will take place in relations with our neighbors before my presidential term expires," Kyrgyzstan’s President Almazbek Atambayev said

BISHKEK, December 1 /TASS/. Kyrgyzstan’s President Almazbek Atambayev has said that Russia should be his country’s strategic partner.

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"For historical reasons, Russia should be our chief foreign political partner," Atambayev noted at Thursday’s news conference in Bishkek. He added that Kyrgyzstan would also build friendly ties "with all other countries, and in particular, neighboring states."

"Positive shifts will take place in relations with our neighbors before my presidential term expires," Atambayev noted.

He described China, which wants internal stability in the Central Asian state, as Kyrgyzstan’s major partner. "If anything flares up in Central Asia, the flame can easily spread to neighboring China," the Kyrgyz president explained. Nevertheless, Atambayev believes that in "its political spirit" Kyrgyzstan is similar to Europe, because the republic is building a "parliamentary democracy.".

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